Combination lighter and burner support for gas stoves



s. H. HOBSON 2,049,650

COMBINATION-LIGHTER AND BURNER SUPPORT FOR GAS STOVES Aug. 4, 1936.

Filed Nov. 7, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 4, 1936. s. H. HOBSON vcomaxmnou LIGHTER AND BURNER SUPPORT FOR GAS STOVE-S Filed Nov. 7, 1931:s Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 4, 1936. s HOBSQN COMBINATION LIGHTER AND BURNERSUPPORT FOR GAS STOVES Filed Nov. 7, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet s Patented Aug.4, 1936 UNITED STATES COMBINATION LIGHTER AND BURNER. SUPPORT FoaoAss'rovcs Stanley H. Hobson, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Geo. D. RoperCorporation, Rockford, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application November 7, 1931, Serial No. 573,595

17 Claims.

This invention relates to a combination lighter and burner support forthe cooking top of a' gas range, and is an improvement on that coveredin my copending application, Serial No. 468,283, filed July 16, 1930. g

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a structuregenerally similar to that disclosed in the other application but madeup. of parts which, when assembled without certain top parts, form astructure adapted for push button lighting, and which when assembledwith the top parts included, forma structure adapted for automaticlighting on the flash-back principle.

In accordance with this object, I provide'an opening inthe main bracketfor removably recelvi g a pilot light housing of the type'sultable forflashback lighting, the same being constructed so as to be mated withthe top parts which form tunnels on the secondary burner supportingbrackets, so as to hold the housing in place and insure the properrelationship with the tunnels for ignition of gas conducted through thetunnels from the burners for flash-back lighting. This constructionpermits dispensing with the housing and the top parts if push buttonlighting is to be used, in which case the housing of the push buttonlighter is arranged to be entered through the opening in the mainbracket so as to be properly disposed with respect to the burnerscarried on the secondary brackets.

Another object is to provide a structure of the kind mentioned adaptedfor use interchangeably with ranges having right or left hand ovens.

Still another object consists in improvements in the supports for theburners with a view to more accurately locating the burners with respectto the lighter, as desired in the case of flash-back lightingparticularly.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying" drawings; in which-'-g r Figure 1- ,is'a plan view of the cooking top of the gas rangeembodying my invention, the grates being removed to better disclose theinvention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sections on the correspondingly numbered lines ofFigure 1;

I Fig. 5 is a cross-section on theline 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the structure appearing at thecenter of Figure 1;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the combination lighter and burner supportshown in Figure. 1 but with the top parts left off, as for push\bnttonlighting; I

Fig. 8 is a similar view but showing a Fig. 9 is an underside view ofone of the burners;

Fig. 2a is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showin the top parts removed forpush button lighting, and a push button lighter substituted for theflash-back lighter, and

Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified oralternative construction of the burner support.

Similar reference numerals are applied to corresponding parts throughoutthe views.

Referring to Figure 1, the numeral I0 is applied to the frame of thecooking top alongside thc oven section (not shown), which in this caseis to the right of the cookingtop but may, how-- ever, be to the leftthereof, as is well known. The usual grates provided for the cooking topand fitting in the recess II have been removed, better to disclose thecooking top burners l2-l5, and the simmer burner It. The burners l3.l5are preferably of identical construction, and the burner l2 of the sameconstruction but of slightly larger size, all having a neck I! of thesame length, into which the tapered end of the mixing tube is arrangedto be entered and suitably secured, as by means of a set screw. Thismeans a saving in cost because the same burners can be used for front orback, right or left, by simply providing the proper length and shape ofmixing tube and attaching the same thereto, as stated. The mixing tubesall make detachable connection with cocks 18 on the manifold l9. In accordance with the other application, I have provided a combinationlighter and burner support, indicated generally by the reference numeral20, centrally disposed with respect to the burners l2| 5 for the purposeof affording a central support for said burners, as well as a centrallighter, for uniformly-good support and-uniformly good lighting. Thestructure 20 of the present invention, as hereinafter described, is soconstructed that it can be used in one way, with certain parts omitted,for push button lighting, and can be used another way, with the otherparts included, for flash-back lighting.

The combination lighter and burner support 20 comprises a mainsupporting bracket 2|, secondary burner supporting brackets 22 and 23, aflash-back lighter housing 24, and top funnelforming parts 25 and 26.The main bracket 2| has a lug 21 arranged to rest on a ledge 28 on theframe ID to provide one point of support at one end of the bracket, andhas. a cross portion 29 on the other end thereof having two lugs 30-thereon for reception on similar ledges provided therefor on the frame Ito provide two other points of support for the bracket. This threepointsupport assures the rigidity of the bracket and the disposition thereofin the proper plane with respect to the cooking top. Lugs 3|, providedon the frame ll) of the cooking top, have engagement with the crossportion 29 of the bracket from above so as to keep the same seatedsolidly on its ledges in the frame. The interlocking of the partspermits quick and easy assembling. The main bracket 2| has an opening 32provided in the middle thereof, at which point the bracket is ofincreased width to provide a broad flat seat 33 on which to set thesecondary brackets 22 and 23 (see Fig. 7). Small depressions 34 areformed in the four corners of the seat 33 to receive downwardlyprojecting bosses 35 provided on the secondary brackets, and upwardlyprojecting U-shaped ribs 36 are formed at opposite ends of the seat forreception of lugs 37 on the secondary brackets, whereby to accuratelylocate said brackets with respect to the bracket 2| and in apredetermined relation to the opening 32. When the brackets are thuslocated, holes therein register with holes in the bracket 2| so thatbolts 38 can be entered trough the beneath the cooking top burners, asshown in Figure 1, and have the outer ends thereof con structed to serveas supports for the burners.

The same each has an upwardly projecting forked lug 39' near the outerend, and a plain upwardly projecting lug 40 at the outer end. The bottomof each burner is, on the other hand, provided with a fiat annular face4| around the center thereof to rest on the lug 40, and has downwardlyprojecting radial ribs 42 on four of the eight fingers of the burner atthe outer ends thereof, slotted transversely as at 43 for interlockingengagementwith the forked lug 39. Each burner is, therefore, supportedcentrally by a lug 40 and marginally by a lug 39 which at the same time,by reason of the interlocking of said lug with the rib 42, holds theburner in a predetermined position (see Figure l). The cooking topburners |2|5 are all supported in the same way from the main bracket 2|and are, therefore, assured of proper relationship to whatever form oflighter is used in the opening 32. The secondary brackets, instead ofbeing cast as separate pieces, may be cast as integral extensions, asshown in Fig. 8, at 22' and 23'. The only objection to a bracket 2| ofthis construction is the difficulty in the molding operation, and forthat reason the plural part construction is preferred.

A push button lighter housing is shown at 24 in Fig.2a entered throughthe opening 32, its tip 44 being connected by means of a tube 45 withformed spherically or on a taper to fit in andcenter itself in saidopening. Three equally spaced lugs 49 are provided in the bottom of thehousing projecting radially'inwardly to locate the tip 50, forming thepilot light, centrally with respect to the housing and with respect tothe baffles provided therein in accordance with the disclosure in thecopending application of Peter I. Hollman, Serial No. 564,502, filedSeptember 23, 1931. The tip 50 is connected by a tube 52 with themanifold I9, and a valve 53 provides a means of regulating the flowof'gas to the tip to secure the proper sized flame. Now, the housing 24,as best appears in Fig. 6, has a pair of necks 54 openings from oppositesides of the pilot light chamber 55 therein, and into either one ofthese a flash-back tube 56, extending from the oven section, is arrangedto be entered, the right hand neck being used in the present casebecause of the right hand oven. Gas conducted through the tube 56 whenthe oven burner is turned on is ignited in the pilot light chamber and aflash-back occurs through the tube to automatically ignite the burner.The simmer burner I6 is placed in proximity to the outer end of theother neck 54, as shown in Figure 1, and is so close to the pilot lightchamber 55 that it is easily ignited through the neck 54 when turned on.Ledges 51 are formed on the secondary bracket 23 to either side of thebracket 2| to support the simmer burner in either of its positions. Itis, therefore, apparent that the construction is adapted for useinterchangeably with stoves having right or left hand'ovens, theflash-back tube 56 being in either case entered in one of the necks 54,and the simmer burner |6 being placed alongside the other neck.

The top parts 25 and 26 are adapted to coopcrate with the secondarybrackets 22 and 23, respectively, or 22' and 23, respectively, as thecase may be, to form tunnels 58 for conducting gas from-end ports 59 onthe adjacent fingers of the various cooking top burns |2--|5 to thepilot light chamber 55 for ignition, whereby to light said burners bythe flash-back through said tunnels. The top parts 25 and 26 are cast toprovide arms channel-shaped in cross-section, as best appears in Fig. 5,so as to provide .the tunnels 58 when the parts are superimposed on thebrackets, the arms being further conformed to the shape of the brackets,as clearly indicated in Figs. 2-4, so as to form tunnels that arereasonably gas-tight.

Longitudinal rib 60 projecting downwardly from the sides of the channelof each arm on the parts 25 and 26 serve to locate the same propeerly onthe brackets 22 and 23 so that the parts The arms of each of the'topparts 25 and 26 Y terminate in slightly spaced relation to the outerends of the fingers of the burners with which the same are to cooperate,so that the end ports 59 are properly aerated and there is, furthermore,the proper space through which to ignite the burners by flash-backthrough the tunnels. The brackets 22 and 23 are formed, as best appearsin Fig. 4; to locate outer ends of the tunnels 56 at the properelevation with respect to the tops of the burners, it being found thatthe best results are secured if the top of theburner is in a planerunning through-the center'of the outer end of the tunnel. With thatrelationship, the gas issuing from the end ports 59 is also assured ofproper entry into the tunnels. The parts 25 and 26 have ribs 62projecting therefrom for entry in openings 63 provided therefor intheopposite sides of the housing 24 so as to make gas-tight connectionswith the housing 24 and establish good communication between the tunnels58 and the pilot light chamber 55. The entrance of the ribs 62 into theopenings 63 serves also to hold the housing 24 in place. That is to say,the bolts I8 is ignited in the pilot light chamber 55, and aflash-backoccurs through the tunnel and lights the burner or burners. v

- In conclusion, attention is called to Fig. 4a showing a modified oralternative construction for the burner supports. Instead of providingthe lugs 39 and 40 and the cooperating face 4| and rib 42, abovedescribed, a lug ,64 can be cast integral with the one finger of theburner and made T-shaped in horizontal cross-section to provide opposedflanges 65 to fit in a T-slot provided therefor in the outer end of thebracket 22a cooperating with the aforesaid burner. The T- shaped lugfitting in the T-slot naturally permits of quick and easy assembling ordisassembling, and at the same time better insures rigidity of theburner than is secured with other supports. An outwardly projecting lug6.1 on the bracket below the T-slot serves as an abutment for the T-shaped lug and determines the elevation of the burner with respect tothe bracket, and, hence, with respect to the tunnel 58 adapted tocooperate therewith. With this construction, it is manifest that the topof the burner can be accurately located in a plane running through themiddle of the outer end of the tunnel that is to cooperate with the endport 59 of. said burner, and the burner is bound to remain in a trulyhorizontal plane parallel with the plane of the cooking top so as togive best performance.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding ofall of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claimshave been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications andadaptations.

I claim: g

. 1. In a gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cookingtop, of a spider support centrally disposed with respect to 'the burnershaving supporting arms extending toward the different burners, meansthereon for supporting the burners, a pilot light housing centrallydisposed on said support, and top parts fitting over the supporting armsto form tunnels for conducting gas from the diflerent burners to thepilot light housing for ignition and for conducting the flashback afterignition to the burners.

2. In a gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cooking top,of a spider support centrally disposed with respect to the burnershaving supporting arms extendingtoward the diilerent burners, meansthereon for supporting the burners, a pilot light housing centrallydisposed on said support, said housing being a separate unit removablefrom the "support, and top pieces removably secured in place hol dingthe pilot light housing in assembled position, said top pieces being sorelated to the aforesaid support ing arms to form gas-conductingpassages between the pilot light housing and the different burners.

3. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top and burners therefor, a mainsupporting bracket reaching fore and aft with reference to thecooklighting means comprising a pilot light housing ing top between theright and left hand burners, secondary brackets supported on the mainbracket and reaching laterally therefrom for supporting the right andleft hand bumers in a certain plane with respect to the cooking top, themain 5 bracket having an opening provided therein centrally with respectto the burners, a pilot light housing disposed in said opening, and topmembers superimposed on the secondary brackets and forminggas-conducting passages between the pilot light housing and thediflerent burners.

4. A structure as set forth in claim 3 including means for jointlysecuring the top members and the secondary brackets to the main bracket.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein the pilot light housingis removably mounted in the opening in the main bracket, and wherein thetop members are arranged when secured in place to hold the housing inassembled position.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 3 wherein 20 the pilot lighthousing is removably mounted in the opening in the main bracket, andwherein the top members are arranged when secured in place to hold thehousing in assembled position. the structure'including means for jointlysecuring the top members and the secondary brackets to the main bracket.

'7. In a gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cooking top,of a spider support centrally disposed with respect to the burnershaving supporting arms extending toward the different burners,'meansthereon for supporting the burners, said support having a centralopening provided therein from which the supporting arms radiate inplanes at a predetermined elevation 3 relative to the top of theopening, a pilot light housing constructed for reception in said centralopening and having openings provided in the side walls thereof in linewith the inner ends of said supporting arms, and top members fittingremovably over the supporting arms to form tunnels for conducting gasfrom the different burners to the pilot light housing for ignition andfor conducting the flash back after ignition to the burners.

- 8. In a gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cookingtop, of a single bracket structure for supporting all of said burners ina certain plane with respect to the cooking top, the same comprisingsupporting arms reaching in difierent directions from a central openingprovided in said bracket structure, and automatic lighting meanscomprising a pilot light housing disposed in said opening, and gasconduits reach- 1 ing therefrom in different directions and shaped tocorrespond to said supporting arms and resting on top ofthe latter.

9. Ina gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cooking top,of a single bracket structure for supporting all .of said burners in acertain plane with respect to the cooking top, the same comprisingsupporting arms reaching in different directions from a central openingprovided in said bracket structure, and automatic disposed in saidopening, and invertedchannelshaped conduits extending in differentdirections from said pilot light housing, said conduits being shaped tocorrespond to said arms and having downwardly projecting flanges on thesides thereof to fit alongside the longitudinal edges of said armswhereby to locate the conduits in proper relation to the arms to formtunnels between the arms and conduits for conducting gas from thedifferent burners "to the pilot light housing for ignition and forconducting the fiash back after ignition to the burners.

10. In a-gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cooking top,of a combination lighter and burner support of sectional construction,the'same comprising a sub-structure formed to provide arms to supportthe burners in a certain plane with reference to the cooking top, and asuper-structure detachably mounted on the sub-structure and including apilot light housing and portions which with the aforesaid arm form gasconduits extending from saidhousing toward passages.

12. In a gas stove, the combination with the burners of the cooking top,of a sectional bracket structure, consisting of a sub-structureconstructed so'as to support the burners in a certain plane relative tothe cooking top, the sub-structure having a central support for alighter, a lighter on said support, and a super-structure of similarform to the sub-structure for assembly removably upon the sub-structureto provide passages between said structures communicating at one endwith the lighter on said support and at the other end with the variousburners.

13'. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top and burners therefor, alighter composed of a plurality of sections constructed to be placed on1 top of one another and interfitted so as to provide a pilot lighthousing, and gas conduits communicating therewith and extending to theburners to conduct gas from the burners to the housing for ignitiontherein, whereby to ignite the burners by flash-back, certain of saidsections being further constructed so as to support the burners adjacentthe outer ends of said conduits, and means for securing the interflttingsections together into a unitary assembly.

14. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top, burners in the four cornersof the cooking top, a spider frame rigidly supported in a centralposition at a certain elevation relative to the cooking top andproviding arms extending therefrom toward the various burners, the outerends of said arms being constructed to support the bumers, whereby saidframe constitutes a unitary burner support, said frame having an openingprovided therein substantially equi-distant from the various burners, alighter comprising a housing demountably received in said opening, andtop pieces fitting over the arms of the spider frame and engaging saidhousing to hold the same in position, the top pieces being removablymounted on said spider frame and being constructed to provide gasconducting channels extending from the burners to the housing.

15. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top, burners in the four cornersof the cooking top, a

-ligter frame extending in the middle of the cooking top between the twopairs of burners and rigidlysupported at a certain elevation relative tothe cooking top independently of the burners, said,

frame having an opening provided therein centrally with respect to theburners, a pilot light housing entered in said opening, brackets forsupporting said burners demountably supported on said frame, and meanson the frame for locating and fastening said brackets on the frame in apre-- determined relation to the central opening, whereby to supportsaid burners in operative relationship to the pilot light housing.

16. In a gas stove comprising a cooking top, burners in the four cornersof the cooking top, a lighter frame extending in the middle of thecooking top between the two pairs of burners and rigidly supported at acertain elevation relative to the cooking top independently of theburners, said frame having an opening provided therein centrally withrespect to the burners, a pilot light housing entered in said opening,brackets for supporting said burners demountably supported on saidframe, top members demountably supported on said frame with the bracketsto provide gas conducting channels between the burners and the pilotlight housing, and means on the frame for locating and fastening saidbracketsand top member on the frame in a predetermined relation to thecentral opening, whereby to support said burners in operativerelationship to the pilot light housing.

17. In a gas stove, the combination with a cooking top, of a burnersupport comprising a spider having burner supporting arms, cooking topburners at the outer ends of said arms, means integral with the outerends of said arms supporting said burners, whereby the spider andburners form a unit arranged to be supported at a predeterminedelevation relative to the cooking top with all of the burners disposedin the same operative relation to the cooking top, said spider beingconstructed to receive a lighter'centrally located with respect to theburners and burner supporting arms, and means detachably mounted on thearms of said spider providing gas conducting passages between theburners and the lighter.

STANLEY H. HOBSON.

